Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1887-12-10
WOOL MEN UNHAPPY
PRESIDENT CLEyELAND.s MESSAGE
THE CAUSE.
Deeply Disappointed at the Fact that He
Favors the Foreign Rather than the
Home Article---yiews of Our
People on the Message.

WasHrSGTos. December Sat today's
session of the conference of woolgrowers
and wool dealers of the United States, the
following declaration was unanimously
adopted:
The wool dealers and woolgroWers OF
fine United States, representing "a capital
of over $500 oo,U 900 and constituency OF
] million wooigrower and Wool dealers,
assembled in conference, having read the
first annual message of the president to
the 5Oth congress, declare that the senti-
ments of the message are a direct attack
upon their industry. Il OF the most I'M
portant of the country, and In positive
violation of the democratic platform OF
1894, as interpreted by party leaders ana
accepted by the rank and file OF the party;
that the argument for the removal OF our
protection against foreign competition Is
one repeatedly made by the enemies OF
our industrial progress and effectually an
swered in nearly every schoos district OF
our land, and thoroughly disproved by the
logic of facts and the demonstration OF eA-
perience and history as to need no answer
from us.
We had a right to expect something diff
ferent from the chief magistrate OF the
nation, one of the most happy, prosper
Gus and contented of any OF the world,
made so by the policy of protection and
the development, which he now seeks to
destroy.
We had a right to expect u president
would favor the woolgroWers of the Unit
ed States. and confess our deep dlsap-
pointment that instead he favors the inter
terest of our foreign competitors.
We make an appeal from his recon-
mendations to the seven and three-fourth
millions of our fellow citizens engaged in
agriculture, to the millions engaged IN
manufacturing, to the army of wage
workers. TO tradesmen and merchants,
confident that their Judgment and decision
will be based upon justice and patriotism,
and therefore for the maintence OF the
American policy Of protection, te which
the country is indebted for its unexam-
pied development and prosperity. 1t the
whole amount of revenue derived from
wool we're abolished. it would reduce the
surplus only about S 100000, OF less than
10 cents per capita Of population which Is
paid by foreigners, while the old war
taxes he recommends retained, yield over
s119,o 100000, and are a direct per capita
of two dollars each. The annual revenue
derived from the imports OF WOOL, under
the tariff of 1867, was less than S1,7oo,-
900, under reduced tariff Of 1883, the
revenue last year was considerably over
$5,000,0 900.
The number of sheep in the country in
1886, was 5o,626,62 and in 1887 44,579.-
314. a decrease of nearly 100000, and a
diminution. of the wool product of over
$4,000 0 pounds, thus showing that re-
ducing the tariff by the act of 1888, has
increased the revenue from imported
wool and diminished the number of sheep
in the United States about IL per cent
The presidents policy would bring about
the destruction of this industry, and the
same policy Of reduction, abolition of the
tariff would end in disaster to all other
industrial productive enterprises OF the
country.